Shoe press structure



Nov. 17, 1942. c, L HUNTQQN SHOE PRESS STRUCTURE Filed April 12, 1341 nJyENTo CULLE L.-HuN'rooN BY 7 I Patented Nov. 17, 1942 units ATENT GREECE SHOE PRESS STRUCTURE Cullen L; Huntoon, St., Louis, Mo., assignor to Landis" Machine Company, St. Louis, Mo., a

corporation of Missouri Application- April 12, 1941, SerialNo. 388,209

15 Claims. (Cl. 12-123) The invention relates to shoepresses such as are commonly used in cementing a shoe sole, or half sole, to the shoe upper, and th invention consists in an adjustable last for such presses and the parts associated therewith for applying pressure to opposite sides of the-shoe solo.

The main object of the invention is to equalize the pressure throughout the length of the shoe parts to be cemented together.

The invention is particularly intended for use in shoe repair shops where successive operations may be upon shoes of substantially different size, Width and heel height with corresponding variations in the angles between the shank andthe forward or toe portion of the sole, and it is a iurt-her object of the invention to provide an adjustable last which will accommodat variations in the angle mentioned and without requiringthe operator to provide a multitude of lasts to meet different conditions. where large quantities of each shoe-size and style may be made at one time it is practical to have a separate last for each size of shoe and for each height of heel but this would be an impossible expense for the shoe repairshop.

It is a further object of the invention to render the shoe last automatically adjustable to the variationin the angle between'the shank and the forward part of the sole so that equalized pressure' throughout the length of the sole: may be had without requiring the operator to intentionally adjust the last for each difierent shoe.

The operator will require severaldilferent sizes of plates for engagin'gi'the front portions of the soles to accommodate the wide range of shoe sizes and shapes, an'dit is a further object of the invention to avoid excessive duplication of'equipment in this respect by facilitating the ready sel'ective assembly of any one of several last front plates with a single common shank part.

These and other detailed objects are attained by. thestructure illustrated in the accompanying drawing in Which Figure 1 is a sid -elevation sectioned in part, of a shoe presslequipped with the lastand cushion st'ructure of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an-enlarged side elevation and longitudinal section of the adjustable last.

Figure 3 is a top view and horizontal section of the lower forward portion of the last and is taken on the line 33 of, Figure .4.

Figur 41 is a vertical transverse section taken onithe line 4-4 ,of Figure 3.1

In the manufacture of shoes Figure 5 is a detailed section vcorrespondingto 55 Figure 2 but illustratinganother arrangement of the parts.

Figure 6 is a detailed transverse section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

The shoe press shown in Figure L corresponds to that illustrated in copending application filed by the present applicant November 16, 1939, Serial No. 304,675, now Patent No.- 2,268,874, issued January 6, 1942, and includes a base I, a crank wheel 2 journalled therein, rods 3 connecting the crank pin 4 of wheel 2 and a pivoting yoke at having a bayonet joint engagement with th end of an arm 5 of a lastwhich may be insorted within the shoe S. a

Base I mounts a support fi' preferablycomprising a rigid pan-like member provided with a deformable cushion l upon which: the bottom of the shoe may rest. Wheel 2 hasatoothedperiphcry, and a shaft 8 journalled in base I has a worm 9 in mesh with the teeth of wheel 2 and has a handle wheel It! by which the shaft and wheel 2 may be rotated to draw; rods 3 downwardlyiand thereby apply pressure through last 5 to the interior ofthebottom-of the-shoe and to thrust the sole applied thereto against the deformable cushion T. The general construction and operation of the press corresponds to that disclosed in the above mentioned application and does not in itself constitute the-present invention; v

The last comprises a shank engaging part II and a forward toe or sole en'gaging'part [2. The forward portion l3 of shank engaging part II overlaps sole engaging part l2 and the opposing surfaces of these two parts are arched lengthwise of the last and thearcuate surfa'ces' are slidable over each other longitudinally of the last.

The angle between the body of shank part H and its forwardly extending portion i3 is such that as the latter slides over the top of sole part IZ- the angle between the body of shank part II and sol part IZ changes and'the'rear portion of part l l is raisedor lowered relativet'o the plane of the bottom ofpart l2. 'I-wo relative positions of the sole partand-shankpart' are indicated by the full lines and broken lines in Figure 2, but

it will be understood thatother positions intermediate and otherwise dilferent from these two positions may be assumed'as required for shoes having heels of different height and-thereby -prm viding different angles between the shank and the toe or front sole part.

The two last parts include. means for guiding them in their sliding movement and for yieldingly holding them in assembled relation. To this endlthe underside of forward portion I3 is provided with a longitudinally extending recess [4 which receives an upstanding boss IS on front part [2. slot I6 opening into the bottom of recess 14. A pin-like element l'l projects upwardly from boss [5 through slot l6 and is provided with a head l8 overlying the upper edges of slot IS.

The underface of front part I2 is bored at l9 to receive the lower end of element H. A spring 20 is compressed against the inner end of bore [9 and engages a cap 2| at the lower end of element l1 and providing a seat for the spring. Spring 20 thrusts element ll downwardly and thereby yieldingly holds parts II and I2 in assembled relation but free to slide longitudinally of each other as described above. The parts are also free to turn horizontally about element I! as a pivot, as indicated in broken lines in Figure 3, to accommodate different last contours or variations in the lateral angle between the shank and the ball or forward portion of the shoe.

When the forward end of portion I3 is first inserted beneath head 18 of element I1, the spring induced pressure of the ri ht hand side of the head against the forwardly and downwardly inclined toe of portion [3 seats boss l5 against the forward end of recess 14, as indicated in broken lines in Figure 2. With the parts in this position the operator may grasp the assembled last about its body 22 and insert the sole part l2 into the shoe until the front end of part [2 contacts with the toe of the shoe, whereupon the operator will press downwardly and forwardly on body 22, bringing the shank and heel portion ll into contact with the corresponding parts of the shoe. Then the shoe and last are mounted on the press cushion l and the yoke 30. hooked onto the lugs 23 of the last arm.

When the press is operated by rotation of wheel ID, the line of thrust exerted by rods 3 will be in the general direction indicated by the arrow A (Figure 2), that is, substantially vertically or perpendicularly of the shoe engaging surfaces and, as this thrust is increased and resistance is built up by the deformable cushion I, the shoe sole will be thrust against the last until the pressure throughout the length of the last is substantially equalized, thus resulting in a firm uniting of the cemented material. If the line of thrust is inclined substantially from the perpendicular to the genera] plane of the sole, the thrust may cause part II to slide along part l2 until the pressure is equalized or the thrust is more nearly normal to the sole.

Preferably the corners between the face of recess l4 and the sides of slot 16 are notched as indicated at 24. Each pair of opposing notches 24 may form a seat for the sole plate boss if the latter is extended upwardly above the level indicated in Figures 2 and 4 as shown, for example, by the addition of a round head screw 25 (see Figures 5 and 6). This feature is intended primarily for holding the two parts of the last in assembled relation when thrust is applied by the press mechanism, as indicated in Figure 1, if it is preferred to eliminate the yielding retention of the parts in assembled relation by the springpressed pin I! as described above.

This arrangement is simpler and cheaper to make and may be favored by some operators whose experience and dexterity make the use of the loosely assembled last parts as convenient as the use of the spring held assembly.

With this arrangement the front plate I2a is Portion l3 has a vertical longitudinal first inserted into the shoe and then the shank part I la is inserted into the shoe over the top of plate In with the shoe shank and heel-engaging surface in contact with the corresponding portions of the shoe, the top of boss l5a, supplemented by the head of screw 25, seating in the adjacent notches 24 so that when thrust is applied in the direction of the arrow A the thrust will firmly seat the notches and boss screw against each other so as to resist any tendency of the last parts to slide along each other longitudinally of the shoe.

The details of the structure and use of the parts may be varied otherwise than as described and the device is not limited to use in a shoe press of the particular type illustrated but may be used in other combinations involving two part lasts or similar structures without departing from the spirit of the invention. The exclusive use of such modifications as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a last for a shoe press, two sole-contacting parts, each part constituting an extension of the other part to form a continuous sole and shank engaging member, said parts having interengaging surfaces with successive portions of each surface inclined to each other longitudinally of the last, said parts being movable relative to each other longitudinally of the last to shift the interengagement of said surfaces and thereby vary the angle between the parts to accommodate different angular arrangements of shoe sole section portion and shank section.

2. A device as described in claim 1 in which one of the sole contacting parts is slidable along the other part, into thrust equalizing position, by the sole pressing thrust applied to the last.

3. A device as described in claim 1 in which one of the sole contacting parts has a slot extending longitudinally of the last and the other of said parts has a projection extending into said slot, said parts being slidable along each other and guided in their sliding movement-by said slot and projection.

4. A two part adjustable last for a shoe press comprising sole and shank engaging parts having overlapping portions with surfaces slidable on each other longitudinally of the last, said parts having respective sole and shank engaging surfaces forming a substantially continuous surface, the first-mentioned surfaces slidable over each other being inclined relative to the sole and shank engaging surfaces to vary their angle as the portions are slid on each other.

5. A two. part adjustable last for a shoe press comprising sole and shank engaging parts, each part forming a longitudinal extension of the soleshank engaging surface of the other part, said parts having opposing surfaces arched longitudinally of the last and said parts being slidable over each other along said surfaces to vary the relation between said parts, and an element on the overlying part by which pressure may be applied through both of said parts in a direction substantially vertically of the last.

6. A two part adjustable last for a shoe press comprising a sole and shank engaging parts, the shank engaging part having a portion overlapping the sole engaging part, said portion and sole engaging part being slidable on each other'longitudinally of the last and said portion having a vertical slot extending longitudinally of the last, a pin-like element extending upwardly from said sole part through said slot and having a head overlying the top edges of said slot, and a spring seated in said sole engaging part and thrustin said pin downwardly.

7. A two part adjustable last for a shoe press comprising sole and shank engaging parts, the shank engaging part having a portion overlapping the sole engaging part, said portion and sole engaging part having opposed surfaces arched longitudinally of the last, and said parts being slidable over each other along said surfaces to vary the angular relation between said parts, said portion having a recess in its underface extending longitudinally of the last, there being a similarly elongated slot extending upwardly from the bottom of said recess through said portion, and said sole engaging part having a boss receivable in said recess to guide said parts in their sliding movement, and an element yieldingly secured to said sole engaging part and projecting upwardly from said boss through said slot and headed to engage the top of said shank portion to frictionally hold said parts assembled with each other.

8. A device as described in claim 7 in which the slot in the overlapping portion of the shank engaging portion has an open end to accommodate passage of the retaining element to permit ready assembly and disassembly of the sole engaging part with the shank engaging part.

9. A device as described in claim 1 in which the two parts slide over each other longitudinally vary the angle between the parts by contact of different portions of the overlapping surfaces and thereby adapt the last for diiferent shoe front sole and shank arrangements.

11. A last as described in claim 10 which includes means yieldingly holding the two parts in any relative position to which they may be adjusted.

12. A last as described in claim 10 in which one of the overlapping parts has an upwardly projecting boss and the other last part has a longitudinal recess receiving said boss and guiding the parts in their relative movement.

13. A last as described in claim 10 in which one of the overlappin parts has an upwardly projecting boss and the other of said parts has a series of spaced seats for receiving said boss for positioning the parts relative to each other when thrust is transmitted from one to the other.

14. A two part adjustable last for a shoe press comprising sole and shank engaging parts pivotally connected to each other to swing transversely of the length of the last and also being slidable on each other longitudinally of the last under pressure applied to one of the parts substantially vertically of the last.

15. A device as described in claim 1 in which the shank engaging part has a portion overlying the sole engaging part and has a vertical slot extending lengthwise of the last, there being an upward projection on said sole engaging part received in said slot, the elements of said last parts opposing each other vertically being arcuate longitudinally of the last, and means on said shank engaging part for transmitting sole pressing thrusts, applied to the device, transversely of the chord of said arcuate elements.

CULLEN L. HUNTOON. 

